The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-29
A STRONG GOVERNMENT.
Abandoned by the Officials the Machinery
Moves Automatically.

Abandoned by the Officials the Machinery
Moves Automatically.
New York Commercial Advertiser.
If any ore has doubts as to ours being a gov
eminent 'by the people" let him take a trip to
Washington in the month of August and have
his doubts removed. There he will find, this
time of year. the usual number of public build
ings, with their customary furniture. but well
nigh deserted by their official occupants. The
corridors of the Treasury have lonely aspect
and the vast pile of the State, War and Navy
building is almost empty as the Capitol out of
session A large portion, probably two-thirds,
of the clerks off on their annual leave of
thirty days and the proportion of absent high
officials is still greater.
The citizen Of New York who contemplates
going to Washington on business connected with
the government might better stay at home. If
he persists in going to-day, however, he will
find when he gets there, some little difficulty
in transacting his business First of all. let US
suppose, he desires to the President. The
President is not in Washington. He is at his
country home, Oak View, Eear the city, and
does not wish to be interrupted there. The
Presidents secretary, Colonel Lamont is also
out of town on his vacation. The assistant
rotary, Mr.. Prudden, indeed is at the White
| House. but has been away for some weeks, and
has only just returned
The visitor from New York next proceeds to
| the State Department, and there he does find
| Secretary Bayard and his chief assistant but
Mr.. Adee and most of the subordinate officers
| away. Going next to the Navy Department,
| it is discovered that Secretary Whitney has
gone to Bar Harbor and that most of the heads
| of bureaus are also absent on vacation. The
visitor can accomplish little nothing here,
and he passes on into the War Department only
Massachusetts, and Chief Clerk Tweedale has
also vanished. General Sheridan, he learns.
has fled from the city, together with most of
| the generals connected with the department.
The business of the i'll starred New Yorker
leads him next TO the Treasury Department,
where he finds Secretary Fairchild just locking
| up and starting off for the north. Assistant
Secretary Thompson. he is told. has been away
| for some time, and the desk of the vocferous
| higgins is temporarily vacant AS he goes
| from Office office, he notes the absence of
| Commissioner of Internal Revenue Miller, Chief
of the Life saving Service Kim ball, Chief Clerk
Youmaus. Third Auditor Williams. and Clerk
Whitney, of the Bureau of Statistics If the
| Department of Justice is next searched it re-
| veals the absence of Attorney general Garland
and pretty much all his force, the only visible
occupants of the building being the acting Attor-
| ney-general, deputy chief clerk, half a dozen
| clerks, two messenger boys aud elevator
|
| Turning up street in despair, seek the re-
| naming two departments of the postoffce and
the interior, the visitor calls route to attend
| to little business with the Interstate commits
| sion, but finds that The commissioners all
| ont of town. Then to the general postoffice, TO
| be told that Postmaster General Villas is away,
also his third assistant Harris the law
| officer of the department, Bryant and various
| other magnates. The Interior Department is the
last resort, but this is if possible thinned
out than the others. Secretary Lamar is gone
and so are Commissioner of Patents, Hall, Com
missioner of the Land office Sparks and Pension
Commissioner Black, while Indian Commissioner
Atkins is Just back from a long vacation.
There is the Capitol, which is almost silent
as the catacombs of Rome After this the
bsfed visitor is not surprised to hear that there
is no grand jury in session at Washington, now
that all the courts, including the Supreme
Court, stand adjourned. and that the Chief-j JUS
tees and associate justices. we'll all the
| judges of the inferior courts. out of town
in a word, that about the only prominent Off
GERS of the government their posts are
Secretary Bayard, Comptroller Trenholm, Judge
Maynard, Commissioner Atkins and the Civil
service Commissioners.
Talk about the ''strong governments of Eu-
rope' Is there stronger government the
face of the earth than that of the United States
of America which goes thus automatically
without jar or a strain, while its officials are
scattered far and widea